Igor Levit and Daniel Barenboim have each made an appeal to European unity at the music festival.

Two politically outspoken musicians have rung in the start of the 2017 BBC Proms with performances and speeches alluding to and addressing European unity and cultural diversity. Russian-German pianist Igor Levit, playing the first night of the Proms, gave a performance of Liszt’s transcription of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the anthem of the European Union. Wearing a small EU pin, he delivered a deeply felt rendition of one of the most familiar pieces of classical music to a rapt audience. Levit has described the EU as a “project of unity and peace” in the past, and has more recently challenged European politicians to stand up to the “angry, dangerous” rhetoric of Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, at the second night of the Proms, the conductor Daniel Barenboim gave a long speech about European solidarity and the importance of education in breaking down barriers. A speech punctuated with applause, the audience listened intently to Barenboim’s measured, deliberate words before launching into a spirited rendition of Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 with the Staatskapelle Berlin.

Here is an excerpt from...